HK1012845A - Object supporting apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Object supporting device

The present invention relates to a novel and useful object support device that can selectively switch between a movable state and a restraining state without any handle operation and that supports an object to be supported such as office furniture.

As one of such object support apparatuses, a support apparatus that supports a conference table or the like is known. The support device is provided with a lock mechanism on a movable support such as a caster or a carriage, and selectively switches between a movable state in which a wheel rotation operation of the caster or a slide operation of the carriage is allowed and a locked state in which the operation is blocked, thereby supporting a conference table as a supported object.

As another mode, there is known a configuration in which a restraining support such as an adjuster and a moving support such as the caster or the carriage are provided at the same time, one of them is movable up and down relative to the other by a switching mechanism, and a movable state in which only the lower end of the caster is grounded and a retracted position in which at least the lower end of the caster and the lower end of the adjuster can simultaneously contact the floor surface are selectable.

However, since such a locking mechanism is provided on the casters or the carriage itself, it is necessary to be operated by being rolled down near the base of the conference table as the supported object, and thus the operability is extremely low. Further, in the case of configuring the conversion mechanism, it is necessary to configure the conversion mechanism to be interlocked with an operation handle provided at an appropriate position, but since a complicated transmission mechanism is indispensable for arranging the operation handle at a position where it is easy to operate, there is a problem that the manufacturing workload and cost increase.

In order to solve such a problem, for example, in a support device having another switching mechanism that selectively switches between a use state and a non-use state, such as a folding mechanism attached to a folding table, it is conceivable that the switching mechanism is operated in conjunction with the mechanism, and a support device for switching operation is not necessary.

However, since the entire table is already fixed when the table top is kept in the use state and the table top must be returned to the non-use state again for movement, when it is desired to arrange a plurality of table tops in close alignment, the positioning operation cannot be performed while keeping the table top in the use state, which causes a problem of extremely poor operation efficiency. Further, since the table top must be kept in a working state in order to fix the table as a whole when it is stored, it is difficult to stably store the table top close to and close to the table top in a non-working state in which the table top is erected.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs a completely new loading mechanism by which, when the movable support is in the protruding position for effective operation, the movable support is held in the protruding position against the weight of the supported object, and when a load exceeding the weight is applied to move the movable support to the retracted position for effective operation of the restraining support, the movable support cannot be returned to the protruding position by its own force.

That is, in the object supporting apparatus of the present invention, when the object to be supported is selectively switched to the restrained state or the movable state and supported, the object to be supported is provided with the restraining support body, the support end of the restraining support body is in contact with the support surface to support the object to be supported in the restrained state, and the moving support body is supported on the object to be supported and is movable between the retracted position where the support end of the moving support body can be at least in contact with the support surface at the same time as the support end of the restraining support body and the projected position where the support end of the moving support body projects toward the support surface beyond the support end of the restraining support body. The movable support is loaded by the loading mechanism in the direction of the support surface at and near the projecting position with a force greater than the gravity acting on the supported object, and loaded in the direction of the support surface at and near the retracted position with a force less than the gravity acting on the supported object.

In such a configuration, if the moving support is operated to move the support end to the protruding position, the support end of the moving support comes into contact with the support surface because the position is closer to the support surface than the support end of the restraining support, and the supported object is movably supported by the moving support. At this position, the movable support is urged in the support surface direction by the urging mechanism, and the urging force is larger than the gravity acting on the supported object, so that the movable support is inhibited from retracting in the retreat position direction even if the movable support receives a reaction force from the support surface in balance with the gravity, and the movable state is stably maintained.

On the other hand, if an external force is artificially applied from this position and the surface of the gravitational force acting on the supported object is made larger than the force of the moving support applied in the direction of the support surface by the applying means, the moving support is retracted in the direction of the retracted position against the applying force of the applying means by the reaction force from the support surface balanced with the gravitational force. If the retraction operation moves the support end of the movable support to the retracted position, the support end comes into contact with the support surface at the same time as the support end of the restraining support or is retracted to a side away from the support surface beyond the support end of the restraining support at this position, and therefore the supported object is supported in the restrained state while the support state of the restraining support is dominant. In this position, although the moving support is still in a state of being urged toward the support surface by the urging means, the urging force at this position is smaller than the gravity acting on the supported object, unlike the above, and therefore, even if the urging means allows the moving support to contact the support surface, the moving support does not move further toward the protruding position against the reaction force from the support surface in balance with the gravity, and the restrained state is stably maintained.

Further, if an external force is artificially applied from this position, and the force acting on the reaction surface from the support surface in balance with the gravity acting on the supported object is made smaller than the force acting on the moving support in the direction of the support surface by the loading mechanism, the loading force of the moving support by the loading mechanism causes a protruding operation. When the support end of the movable support moves to the projecting position by the projecting operation, the movable state is stably maintained because the urging force of the urging mechanism becomes larger than the gravity of the supported object again.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the switching from the movable state to the restraining state or from the restraining state to the movable state can be realized extremely easily only by applying an external force artificially to the supported object itself.

That is, according to the present invention configured as above, the following results can be obtained.

That is, in the object support device of the present invention, when the movable support is in the projected position in which the movable support is effectively operated, the movable support is held at the projected position by applying a load force against the weight force of the supported object to the loading mechanism, and when the movable support is moved to the retracted position in which the restraining support is effectively operated by applying a load exceeding the load force, the load force of the loading mechanism is reduced, and the movable support cannot be returned to the projected position by its own force.

Therefore, when the supported object is switched between the stopped state and the movable state, the troublesome handle operation is not required at all, and the convenience of use can be remarkably improved as compared with the prior art. Further, since the object support device is constructed independently of itself, it has an advantage that, in comparison with a conventional mechanism which works in conjunction with, for example, a table top capable of turning, the structure is significantly simplified, and in a case where it is necessary to align a plurality of table tops closely to each other, positioning work can be performed by holding the table tops at the use position, and then locking can be performed by applying an external force, and in addition, it has an advantage that the table top is locked to the non-use position when the entire table is stored, whereby the storage state is extremely favorable, and convenience in handling or using an object such as a folding table is dramatically improved as compared with the conventional mechanism.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a folding table utilizing embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the folding table in a movable state;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the folding table in a check position;

fig. 4 is a partially omitted perspective view showing the table supporting apparatus of the embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the device in partial cutaway;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a front view of a folding table utilizing embodiment 2 of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the folding table in a movable state;

FIG. 10 is a side view of the folding table in a check position;

fig. 11 is a partially omitted perspective view showing a table supporting apparatus of the embodiment;

figure 12 is a side view of the device in partial cutaway.

FIG. 13 is a front view thereof;

fig. 14 is a side view, partially in section, showing embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Fig. 15 is a side view, partly in section, showing embodiment 4 of the present invention.

Fig. 16 is a side view, partly in section, showing embodiment 5 of the present invention.

Figure 17 is a front view of a folding table employing embodiment 6 of the invention.

Figure 18 is a side view of the folding table in a movable position;

FIG. 19 is a side view of the folding table in a check position;

fig. 20 is a partially omitted perspective view showing the table supporting apparatus of the embodiment;

FIG. 21 is a side elevation view of the device in partial cutaway;

FIG. 22 is an enlarged partial front view of the device;

FIG. 23 is a partially enlarged front view showing the action of the embodiment;

fig. 24 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the embodiment;

fig. 25 is a perspective view showing a main part of the embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the drawings. Example 1

This embodiment can be used in a table support device 5 for supporting a folding table 1 as a supported object on a floor surface F as a support surface, as shown in fig. 1 to 3.

The folding table 1 has left and right main legs 2, an upper surface 3, and a shelf 4, and supports a table top 3 in a turnable manner near the upper ends of the left and right main legs 2.

The main leg 2 includes left and right bases 21 supported by the table support device 5 to be substantially horizontal with respect to the floor surface F, left and right leg supports 22 provided to protrude substantially at the center of the bases 21, and a cross member 23 rigidly connecting the left and right leg supports.

The tabletop 3 is a substantially rectangular tabletop body having a frame fixed to a lower surface thereof, and is supported by the main legs 2 at left and right sides near upper ends of the leg supports 22 so as to be capable of turning between an upright unused position 3A shown by imaginary lines in fig. 2 and a horizontal used position 3B shown by solid lines in the figure. The tabletop 3 is locked at the non-use position 3A or the use position 3B by a known-structured, unillustrated tabletop lock mechanism, and this lock is released by the rotation of a tabletop lock release handle 31 disposed on the side of the foot stay 22 of the main foot 2.

The shelf 4 is supported on the leg supports 22 on the right and left sides directly above the cross member 23 of the main leg 2 so as to be capable of turning between an upright unused position 4A shown by an imaginary line in fig. 2 and a horizontal used position 4B shown by a solid line in the figure. The shelf 4 is connected with the table top 3 by a connecting rod 41 and can be turned over in parallel.

The table support device 5 of the present invention is provided in the vicinity of the front end 21a of the base 21, and as shown in fig. 2 to 7, includes an adjuster 6 as a support for stopping, casters 7 as a support for moving, and a biasing mechanism 80 for biasing the casters 7, and can selectively switch between a movable state shown in fig. 2 and a stopped state shown in fig. 3 to support the folding table 1.

The adjuster 6 is attached to the front end 21a of the base 21, the upper end 61a of the shaft 61 is fixed to the lower surface of the upper wall of the base 21, and the height of the support end 6a provided at the lower end is adjusted by an appropriate means, so that the support end 6a contacts the floor surface F as a support surface, thereby supporting the folding table 1 in a restrained state.

The caster 7 rotatably holds the wheel 71 by the axle holding portion 72, a through hole 70a is formed in the axle holding portion 72 in the vertical direction, the hole 70a is disposed at a position where the shaft portion 61 of the adjuster 6 is fitted to the outside, the adjuster shaft portion 61 and the hole 70a constitute a guide portion 70, and the guide portion 70 guides the caster 7 so as to be able to contact and separate from the floor surface F. Then, the caster 7 can be operated along the adjuster shaft 61 between a retracted position a (see fig. 3 and 5) where the support end 7a contacts the floor surface F at least simultaneously with the support end 6a of the adjuster 6, and a protruding position B (see fig. 2 and 5) where the support end 6a of the adjuster 6 protrudes toward the floor surface F.

The urging mechanism 80 includes a pair of link members 80A extending between the caster 7 and the base 21, and a pair of tension coil springs 80B serving as elastic bodies urging the link members 80A.

A pair of link members 80A are provided with a shaft pin 802 extending between one end 801 thereof, and both ends of the shaft pin 802 are slidably fitted into long holes 210 provided in the side wall of the base 21 and extending substantially in the front-rear direction, and the other end 803 of the link member 80A is pivotally supported on the upper portion of the axle holding portion 72 of the caster 7 via a support shaft 804. The positional relationship and the distance between the pivot 802 and the support shaft 804 are set such that when the pivot 802 is positioned at the one end 210a of the elongated hole 210, the support end 7a of the caster 7 is held at the retracted position a where it contacts the floor surface F at least together with the support end 6a of the adjuster 6, and when the pivot 802 is positioned at the other end 210B of the elongated hole 210, the support end 7a of the caster 7 is held at the protruding position B where it protrudes to the floor surface F side from the support end 6a of the adjuster 6.

One end 805 of the spring 80B is connected to the shaft pin 802, and the other end 806 is connected to a spring hook 807 provided between the side walls of the base 21 forward of the shaft pin 802, and elastically biases the shaft pin 802 from one end 210a to the other end 210B of the elongated hole 210. The biasing force is converted into a biasing force for biasing the caster 7 to the projecting position B via the shaft pin 802, the elongated hole 210, the link member 80A, and the guide portion 70, and the biasing force increases as the angle between the straight line connecting the shaft pin 802 and the support shaft 804 and the spring line increases, that is, as the shaft pin 802 approaches the other end 210B of the elongated hole 210. Then, the elastic force of the spring 80B is determined so that the caster 7 is urged toward the floor surface F by the urging mechanism 80 with a force larger than the gravity acting on the folding table 1 when the support end 7a of the caster 7 is at the projecting position B and the vicinity thereof, and the caster 7 is urged toward the floor surface F with a force smaller than the gravity acting on the folding table 1 when the support end 7a of the caster 7 is at the retreating position a and the vicinity thereof.

Further, casters 9 having a conventional structure are mounted at positions capable of supporting the rear end 21b of the base 21. The support end 9a of the caster 9 is set such that: the base 21 is horizontally supported when the support end 6a of the adjuster 6 contacts the floor surface F.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described. When the support ends 7a of the casters 7 are in the projecting position B shown in fig. 5, since they project further toward the floor surface F than the support ends 6a of the adjuster 6, the support ends 7a of the casters 7 contact the floor surface F, the support ends 6a of the adjuster 6 are separated from the floor surface F, and the folding table 1 is movably supported by the casters 7, 9 in a somewhat backward tilted state as shown in fig. 2. In this position, the casters 7 are biased toward the floor surface F by the biasing mechanism 80, and the biasing force is larger than the gravity acting on the folding table 1, so that even if the casters 7 receive a reaction force from the floor surface F in balance with the gravity, the movement of the support ends 7a to retract toward the retracted position a is prohibited, and the movable state is stably maintained.

On the other hand, if a load in the direction of the arrow U in the figure is manually applied to the tabletop 3 of the folding table 1 from this position by hand or the like, and the force applied to the gravity surface in the direction of the floor surface F by the loading mechanism 80 is larger than the force applied to the caster 7 by the floor surface F, the caster 7 is retracted in the direction of the retreat position a against the loading force of the loading mechanism 80 due to the reaction force from the floor surface F balanced with the gravity. When the support end 7a of the caster 7 moves to the retracted position a shown in fig. 3 by the retraction operation, the support end 7a contacts the floor surface F at least simultaneously with the support end 6a of the adjuster 6 at this position, and therefore the support state of the adjuster 6 is dominant, and the folding table 1 is supported in the restrained state. In this position, although the casters 7 are still loaded in the direction of the floor surface F by the loading mechanism 80, the loading force in this position is different from the above-described force, and cannot be effectively converted into a force for projecting the casters 7, and is smaller than the gravity acting on the folding table 1, so that even if the casters 7 can contact the floor surface F by the loading mechanism 80, they cannot move further to the projecting position B against the reaction force from the floor surface F which is balanced with the gravity, and the restrained state is stably maintained.

Further, if the tabletop 3 of the folding table 1 is manually lifted up in the arrow V direction in the figure from this position by hand or the like, and the reaction force from the floor surface F balanced with the gravity acting on the folding table 1 is made smaller than the force with which the casters 7 are urged in the floor surface F direction by the urging mechanism 80, the casters 7 are caused to protrude by the urging force of the urging mechanism 80. When the support ends 7a of the casters 7 are moved to the projecting position B shown in fig. 2 due to this projecting action, the folding table 1 stably maintains the movable state since the loading force of the loading mechanism 80 overcomes the gravity of the folding table 1 again.

As described above, the table support device 5 of the present embodiment can be switched from the movable state to the restraining state only by the load applied to the tabletop 3, the base 21, and the like of the folding table 1 by the operator, and can be switched from the restraining state to the movable state only by the operation of slightly lifting the tabletop 3, and the like of the folding table 1. Therefore, the switching operation can be performed by a series of operations that are continuous with the turning operation of the tabletop 3, in addition to completely eliminating the need for the handle operation, so that the convenience of use can be significantly improved as compared with the lock mechanism of the related art. Further, since the table support device 5 is constructed completely independently of the mechanism for turning the tabletop 3, the structure is significantly simplified as compared with the prior art in which the mechanisms are linked, and the manufacturing workload and cost are reduced. Further, there are also obtained other advantages such as that since the table support means 5 can be moved in the state where the table tops 3 are held at the use position 3B, in the case where a plurality of table tops 3 are required to be arranged closely to each other, the table tops 3 can be held at the use position 3B to perform positioning work, and that, in the case where the folding table 1 is stored, the table tops 3 can be locked even when they are raised to the non-use position 3A, so that a stable storage state can be compactly realized. Example 2

In fig. 8 to 13, the caster 7 as a support for movement is attached to the folding table 1 as a supported object via the rotating arm 73, the folding table 1 is supported so as to be convertible into a restraining state or a movable state via the caster 7 and the adjuster 6, and the rotating arm 73 is urged by the urging mechanism 8 having a structure different from that of the above-described embodiment. In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to the part injection common to the above-described embodiments, and the description thereof is omitted.

The adjuster 6 is fixed to the front end portion 21a of the base 21, and the position of the support end 6a provided at the lower end can be adjusted by operating the nut portion 62 disposed at the intermediate portion, so that the support end 6a is brought into contact with the floor surface F as a support surface, thereby supporting the folding table 1 in a restrained state.

A pivot arm 73 having a base end 73b pivotally supported via a horizontal shaft 73a near the front end 21a of the base 21, and an axle holder 72 of the caster 7 is horizontally rotatably supported via a support shaft 74 at a pivot end 73c of the pivot arm 73. The pivoting operation of the pivoting arm 73 is performed between a retreat position a (see fig. 10 and 12) at which the support end 7a can contact the floor surface F at the same time as the support end 6a of the adjuster 6 and a protrusion position B (see fig. 9 and 12) protruding in the direction of the floor surface F from the support end 6a of the adjuster 6. In order to bias the swivel arm 73, a relatively weak torsion coil spring 75 is provided on the horizontal shaft 73a, one end thereof is coupled to the upper edge of the swivel arm 73, and the other end thereof is coupled to the upper wall of the base 21, thereby biasing the swivel arm 72 in the direction in which the caster 7 protrudes. In order to prohibit the pivoting arm 73 from pivoting beyond its operating range in the projecting direction, a stopper 21c is provided on the bottom wall of the base 21.

The biasing mechanism 8 includes a first cam surface 81 and a second cam surface 82 formed on an upper edge of the pivot arm 73, a pair of biasing arms 83 disposed at positions engageable with the cam surfaces 81 and 82, and a torsion coil spring 48 serving as an elastic member for biasing the biasing arms 83. The base end portion 83b of the loading arm 83 is hinged via a horizontal shaft 83a provided at the front end side of the horizontal shaft 73a of the rotating arm 73, and a cylindrical rotating portion 83c is attached between the rotating ends extending downward rearward. The rotating portion 83c is disposed at a position engageable with the cam surfaces 81 and 82 on the upper edge of the arm 73. Specifically, the first cam surface 81 is formed at a position where the upper edge of the swivel arm 73 is slightly inclined so as to engage the above-mentioned swivel portion 83c when the support end 7a of the caster 7 is at the projecting position B shown in fig. 9 and 12 and its vicinity, and the second cam surface 82 is formed at a position where the upper edge of the swivel arm 73 is recessed in a substantially U-shape so as to engage the above-mentioned swivel portion 83c when the caster 7 is at the retreating position a shown in fig. 10 and 12 and its vicinity. The 1 st cam surface 81 is continuous with the 2 nd cam surface 82. In such a configuration, when the caster 7 approaches the projecting position B, the straight line connecting the contact point of the rotating portion 83c with the first cam surface 81 and the horizontal shaft 83a gradually approaches a straight line perpendicular to the first cam surface 81, the spring force torque of the torsion coil spring 84 acts on the rotating arm 73, the casters 7 are loaded in the projecting direction with a force larger than the gravity acting on the folding table 1, while when the casters 7 approach the retreat position a from the projecting position B, at the stage when the turning portion 83c transitions from the first cam surface 81 to the second cam surface 82, the angle between the straight line and the cam surfaces 81 and 82 changes sharply, and most of the spring force of the torsion coil spring 84 is offset by the strength of the longitudinal member of the turning arm 73, so that the biasing force in the projecting direction actually acting on the casters 7 via the turning arm 73 becomes smaller than the gravity acting on the folding table 1.

Further, casters 9 having a conventional structure are mounted at positions capable of supporting the rear end 21b of the base 21. When the support end 9a of the caster 9 and the support end 6 of the adjuster 6 simultaneously contact the floor surface F, the base 21 is horizontally supported.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described. When the support ends 7a of the casters 7 are in the projecting position B shown in fig. 12, since they project further toward the floor surface F than the support ends 6a of the adjuster 6, the support ends 7a of the casters 7 contact the floor surface F, the support ends 6a of the adjuster 6 are separated from the floor surface F, and the folding table 1 is movably supported by the casters 7, 9 in a slightly tilted-back state as shown in fig. 9. In this position, the casters 7 are biased toward the floor surface F by the biasing means, and the biasing force is larger than the gravity acting on the folding table 1, so that even if the casters 7 receive a reaction force from the floor surface F in balance with the gravity, the movement of the support ends 7a to retract toward the retracted position a is prohibited, and the movable state is stably maintained.

On the other hand, if a load or the like is manually applied to the tabletop 3 of the folding table 1 from this position and the force exerted on the ground surface F by the urging mechanism 8 by the casters 7 is greater than the force exerted on the ground surface F by the urging mechanism 8, the casters are moved to retract toward the retracted position a shown in fig. 10 against the urging force of the urging mechanism 8 due to the reaction force from the ground surface F balanced with the gravity. When the support end 7a of the caster 7 moves to the retracted position a by the retraction operation, the support end 7a contacts the floor surface F at least at the same time as the support end 6a of the adjuster 6 at this position, and therefore the folding table 1 is supported in a restrained state mainly by the support state of the adjuster 6. In this position, although the casters 7 are still loaded in the direction of the floor surface F by the loading mechanism 8, the loading force in this position is different from the above-described one and is smaller than the gravity acting on the folding table 1, and therefore, even if the casters 7 can come into contact with the floor surface F by the loading mechanism 8, the casters cannot move further to the projecting position B against the reaction force from the floor surface F which is balanced with the gravity, and the restrained state is stably maintained.

Further, if the reaction surface from the floor surface F balanced with the gravity acting on the folding table 1 is made smaller than the force with which the caster 7 is urged in the direction of the floor surface F by the urging mechanism 8 by, for example, manually lifting the table top 3 of the folding table 1 upward from this position, the caster 7 is caused to protrude by the urging force of the urging mechanism 8. When the support ends 7a of the casters 7 are moved to the projecting position B by the projecting action, the folding table 1 is stably maintained in a movable state because the urging force of the urging mechanism 8 overcomes the weight of the folding table 1 again.

As described above, the table support device 5 of the present embodiment can be switched from the movable state to the restraining state only by the load applied to the tabletop 3, the base 21, and the like of the folding table 1 by the operator, and can be switched from the restraining state to the movable state only by the operation of slightly lifting the tabletop 3 of the folding table 1. Therefore, as in the above-described embodiment, no handle operation is required at all, and the convenience of use can be significantly improved as compared with the lock mechanism of the prior art. Further, since the table support device 5 is completely independent of the mechanism for turning the tabletop 3, the structure is significantly simplified compared to the prior art in which mechanisms are linked, and the manufacturing workload and cost are reduced. Further, there are obtained other advantages such as that the table top 3 can be held at the use position to perform positioning work when a plurality of table tops 3 are required to be arranged closely to each other because the table support means 5 can be moved in the state where the table tops 3 are held at the use position 3B, and that the table tops 3 can be locked even when they are raised when the folding table 1 is stored, so that a stable storage state can be realized compactly. Example 3

In fig. 14, casters 7 as a support for movement are attached to the folding table 1 as a supported object via lift pins 107, and the folding table 1 is supported so as to be capable of being switched to a restrained state or a movable state via the lift pins 107 and the casters 7, and a loading mechanism 108 different from the above-described embodiment is used.

The lift lever 107 is guided and held to be lifted and lowered on a certain straight line with respect to the base 21.

The urging mechanism 108 is composed of a cylindrical cam body 181 whose axis is horizontally mounted on the upper end of the lift lever 107, an urging member 182 whose tip part 182a enters the moving path of the cam body 181 when the lift lever 107 is lifted, which is pivotally supported on the base 21 of the folding table 1 by a support shaft 182b, a spring 183 as an elastic body for urging the urging member 182 to rotate clockwise in the figure, and a stopper 184 for restricting the rotational range of the urging member 182.

That is, the biasing member 182 is provided with a sheath portion 182c for partially receiving the distal end portion 182a, and a support shaft 183d pivotally supports a base portion of the distal end portion 182a in the sheath portion 182c in a retracted knife shape. The tip end portion 182a is elastically pressed against the rear wall of the sheath portion 182c by a spring 182e in a state where no external force is applied, and at this position, the tip end of the tip end portion 182a is located in the moving path of the cam body 181.

The cam 181 is located at a position where the front end 182a of the biasing member 182 biases the floor surface F when the support end 7a of the caster 7 is at the projecting position B closer to the floor surface F than the support end 6a of the adjuster 6 and the vicinity thereof, and at this position, the biasing force of the spring 183 to the caster 7 in the floor surface F direction via the front end 182a of the biasing member 182 and the cam 181 is larger than the gravity acting on the folding table 1. Further, when the support end 7a of the caster 7 is at the retracted position a and its vicinity where it contacts the floor surface at least at the same time as the support end 6a of the adjuster 6, the cam 181 is held at a position where it is not biased by the tip end 182a of the biasing member 182, and at this time, the biasing force applied to the caster 7 in the direction of the floor surface F, that is, the sum of the forces of the gravity acting on the caster 7 and the lifter 107 and the biasing force caused by a suitable spring not shown in the drawing is smaller than the gravity acting on the folding table 1. When the caster 7 is operated from the retracted position a to the projecting position B by its own weight or the like without being affected by the gravity acting on the folding table 1, the cam body 181 temporarily interferes with the tip end portion 182a of the biasing member 182, but the spring 182e is weak, and the tip end portion 182a is temporarily retracted to a position where it does not interfere with the cam body 181, and the cam body 181 is allowed to pass therethrough.

In such a configuration, when the supporting end 7a of the caster 7 is at the projecting position B, the urging member 182 stably holds the folding table 1 in a movable state against the reaction force from the floor surface F, and if an artificial load acts in a direction in which the reaction force increases from this position, the cam body 181 causes the entire urging member 182 to rotate counterclockwise about the support shaft 182B against the spring 183 and move upward, allowing the supporting end 7a of the caster 7 to move to the retracted position a. After the cam body 181 passes, the entire urging member 181 is urged by the spring 183 to return to the position defined by the stopper 184 again. In this position, since the caster 7 is not subjected to a strong external force against the reaction force from the floor surface F, the caster 7 does not cause a protruding operation, and the folding table 1 stably maintains the restrained state. Further, if the folding table 1 is lifted up or the like at this position to reduce the reaction force from the floor surface F, the front end part 182a is pushed open by the weight of the caster 7 or the like, and the support end 7a is moved to the projecting position B again.

Therefore, with such a configuration, the folding table 1 can be selectively switched between the restraining state and the movable state without any handle operation as in the above-described embodiment, and the configuration is simple, and the operability and the ease of use can be dramatically improved as compared with the conventional one. Example 4

In fig. 15, casters 7 as a support for movement are attached to the folding table 1 as a supported object via swing brackets 207, and the folding table 1 is supported so as to be capable of being switched to a restrained state or a movable state via these swing brackets 207 and casters 7, and a loading mechanism 208 different from the above-described embodiment is used.

The swing frame 207 has a long hole 271a extending in the longitudinal direction in the vicinity of the upper end thereof, and an engagement portion 271 is formed by engaging the long hole 271a with a fixed shaft 271b horizontally provided in the base 21 of the folding table 1, and is attached to the base 21 so as to be swingable between the vertical posture and the inclined posture via the engagement portion 271.

The urging mechanism 208 is composed of an urging surface 281 formed at the upper end of the swing frame 207, an urging slider 282 slidably disposed at a position contactable with the urging surface 281 via a shaft 282a and a long hole 282B when the caster 7 is at the projecting position B or its vicinity, a spring 283 serving as an elastic body urging the urging slider 282, and a spring 284 for urging the swing frame 207 in a direction opposite to the tilting direction. When the supporting end 7a of the caster 7 is at the projecting position B projecting toward the floor surface F from the supporting end 6a of the adjuster 6 and in the vicinity thereof, the force with which the loading slider 282 loads the caster 7 toward the floor surface F via the loading surface 281 of the swing frame 207 is larger than the gravity acting on the folding table 1, and when the supporting end 7a of the caster 7 is at the retreating position a contacting the floor surface F at least at the same time as the supporting end 6a of the adjuster 6 and in the vicinity thereof, the swing frame 207 is inclined, the loading surface 281 is moved to a position where it is not loaded by the loading slider 282, and the force with which the caster 7 is loaded toward the floor surface F by its own weight and the spring 284 is smaller than the gravity acting on the folding table 1. When the casters 7 are operated from the retracted position B to the projected position a without being affected by the gravity acting on the folding table 1, the force of the spring 284 is effectively applied, and the swing frame 207 can be rotated to the vertical position where the loading surface 281 of the swing frame 207 can be loaded by the loading slider 282. The load surface 281 of the swing frame 207 is inclined to some extent, and when an external force acts such that a reaction force from the floor surface F increases, an inclination operation is caused on the swing frame 207 with the shaft 271b as a fulcrum. Fig. 285 and 286 show a stopper for limiting the swing range of the swing frame 207.

In such a configuration, when the support ends 7a of the casters 7 are in the projecting position B, the loading slider 282 holds the folding table 1 stably in a movable state against the reaction force from the floor surface F, and if an artificial load acts in a direction in which the reaction force increases from this position, the loading surface 281 of the swing frame 207 is lifted up against the spring 283, and the swing frame 207 is tilted by the guiding action of the loading surface 281 while the shaft 271B transitions to the lower end side relative to the long hole 271a and the swing frame 207 is displaced in the longitudinal direction, allowing the support ends 7a of the casters 7 to move to the retracted position a. In this position, the main force for projecting the casters 7 is only the springs 284, but since the biasing force is not a strong force against the reaction force from the floor surface F, the casters 7 do not cause the projecting operation, and the folding table 1 stably maintains the restrained state. Further, if the folding table 1 is lifted up or the like at this position to reduce the reaction force from the floor surface F, the weight of the caster 7 and the action of the spring 284 cause the swing frame 207 to once again push the loading slider 282 open and move the support end 7a thereof to the projecting position B.

Therefore, with such a configuration, the folding table 1 can be selectively switched between the restraining state and the movable state without any handle operation, as in the above-described embodiment, and the configuration is simple, and the operability and the ease of use can be dramatically improved as compared with the conventional one. Example 5

In fig. 16, the casters 7 as the support body for movement are held by a pair of link members 371 and 372 via a hinge point 373, one ends 371a and 372a of the pair of link members are hinged to each other at the hinge point 373, and the other ends 371b and 372b are slidably supported by long holes 21F provided in the base 21 of the folding table 1, respectively, so that the hinge point 373 can move toward or away from the floor surface F. Further, the folding table 1 can be supported by being switched to the restrained state or the movable state via the link members 371 and 372 and the casters 7, and a loading mechanism 308 different from the above-described embodiment is employed.

The biasing mechanism 308 includes a 1 st spring 381 as a 1 st elastic body biasing the hinge point 373 toward the ground surface F, and a 2 nd spring 382 as a 2 nd elastic body biasing the two link members 371 and 372 in a direction of increasing the crossing angle at the hinge point 373. Further, when the supporting end 7a of the caster 7 is at the projecting position B projecting to the floor surface F side from the supporting end 6a of the adjuster 6 and its vicinity, the force to load the caster 7 to the floor surface F direction by the sum of the loading forces of the 1 st and 2 nd springs 371 and 372 is larger than the gravity acting on the folding table 1, and when the supporting end 7a of the caster 7 is at the retreating position a contacting to the floor surface F at least simultaneously with the supporting end 6a of the adjuster 6 and its vicinity, the force to load the caster 7 to the floor surface F direction by the residual loading force obtained by subtracting the loading force of the 2 nd spring 382 from the loading force of the 1 st spring 381 is smaller than the gravity acting on the folding table 1.

In such a configuration, when the support end 7a of the caster 7 is at the projecting position B, the 1 st and 2 nd springs 381, 382 stably hold the folding table 1 in a movable state against the reaction force from the floor surface F, and if an artificial load acts in a direction in which the reaction force increases from this position, the hinge point 373 is lifted against the biasing force of the springs 381, 382, and the support end 7a of the caster 7 is allowed to move to the retracted position a through a change point in alignment of the two link members 371, 372. In this position, since the 2 nd spring 382 acts in a direction to cancel the biasing force of the 1 st spring 381, even if the biasing force of the 1 st spring 381 remaining after subtraction acts in the projecting direction of the casters 7, the biasing force is not a strong force against the above-mentioned reaction force, so that the casters 7 do not cause the projecting operation, and the folding table 1 stably maintains its restrained state. Further, if the reaction force from the floor surface F is reduced by lifting the folding table 1 or the like in this position, the caster 7 is moved again to the projecting position B by the weight of the caster 7 and the residual biasing force of the spring 381, and the two link members 371 and 372 pass through the above described variation points.

Therefore, with such a configuration, the folding table 1 can be selectively switched between the restraining state and the movable state without any handle operation as in the above-described embodiments, and the configuration is simple, and the operability and the ease of use can be dramatically improved as compared with the conventional one. Example 6

The table support device 1005 shown in fig. 17 to 25 is used for supporting the folding table 1 having the same structure as that of the above-described embodiments, and the same reference numerals are given to corresponding parts of the folding table 1, and the description thereof is omitted.

As shown in fig. 25, the table support device 1005 is integrally formed in a box structure that can be housed in an Jiong-shaped channel member 1000, and includes an adjuster 6 as a holding support, casters 7 as a moving support, and a loading mechanism 1008 for loading the casters 7, and the channel member 1000 is fixed by being attached to the vicinity of the front end portion 21a of the base 21 in the longitudinal direction as shown in fig. 20 and 21. Further, the folding table 1 is supported selectively in any one of the movable state shown in fig. 18, 20, 21 and 23 and the restraining state shown in fig. 19, 21 and 22.

The adjuster 6 is fixed to the lower surface of the upper wall of the channel member 1000 at the upper end 61a of the shaft portion 61, and supports the folding table 1 in a restrained state by adjusting the height of a support end 6a provided at the lower end by an appropriate mechanism so that the support end 6a contacts the floor surface F as a support surface.

The caster 7 is rotatably held by an axle holding portion 72, a through hole 70a is formed in the axle holding portion 72 in a vertical direction, the hole 70a is disposed at a position where the shaft portion 61 of the adjuster 6 is fitted to the outside, a guide portion 70 is formed by the adjuster shaft portion 61 and the hole 70a, and the guide portion 70 guides the caster 7 so as to be able to contact with and separate from the floor surface F. Then, the caster 7 can be moved along the adjuster shaft 61 to project and retract between a retracted position a (see fig. 19 and 21) where the support end 7a contacts the floor surface F at least simultaneously with the support end 6a of the adjuster 6 and a projected position B (see fig. 18 and 21) where the support end 6a of the adjuster 6 projects toward the floor surface F.

The biasing mechanism 1008 includes a pair of link members 1080 disposed between the caster 7 and the base 21, a 1 st compression coil spring 1010 as an elastic body biasing one end 1081 of the link members 1080 in a direction in which the caster 7 approaches the floor surface F, and a 2 nd compression coil spring 1020 as an auxiliary elastic body biasing the upper end 72a of the axle holding portion 72 of the caster 7 in a direction in which the caster 7 approaches the floor surface F. The 2 nd compression coil spring 1020 constitutes the urging mechanism of the present invention for urging the caster 7 in the direction of the floor surface F along the guide portion 70 together with the gravity acting on the caster 7.

The pair of link members 1080 are coupled to each other via a shaft pin 1082 at one end 1081 thereof, and are pivotally supported at the other end 1083 thereof via a support shaft 1084 in the vicinity of the upper portion of the axle holding portion 72 of the caster 7. A reaction spring, not shown, is incorporated between the support shaft 1084 and the axle holding portion 72, and a downward guide surface 1030 is formed on the lower surface of the upper wall of the channel member 1000, and one end 1081 of the link member 1080 is pressed against the downward guide surface 1030 by the reaction spring via a shaft pin 1082. The stopper 1031 is hung from the front end of the downward guide surface 1030, and the shaft pin 1082 is slidably moved along the downward guide surface 1030 to a position where the stopper 1031 is in contact with the shaft pin 1082, and in this embodiment, the supporting end 7a of the caster 7 is held at a protruding position closer to the floor surface F than the supporting end 6a of the adjuster 6 at or near the position where the shaft pin 1082 contacts the stopper 1031. Since the one end 1081 of the link member 1080 is a free end, the moving range of the caster 7 is not substantially restricted, and therefore the support end 7a of the caster 7 can be accommodated in the retracted position a where it can contact the floor surface F at the same time as the support end 6a of the adjuster 6. When the caster 7 moves from the projecting position B to the retracted position a and the shaft pin 1082 slides along the downward guide surface 1030 in the direction indicated by the arrow in fig. 21, the shaft pin 1082 is gradually guided downward, and the inclined surface 1030a is provided on a part of the downward guide surface 1030.

The 1 st compression coil spring 1010 is housed in a box 1011 fixed within the channel member 1000. Specifically, as shown in fig. 24, the case 1011 is integrally formed of resin together with the stopper 1031 and the downward guide surface 1030, and has a spring receiving portion 1011d at a position surrounded by the front wall 1011a, the rear wall 1011b and the side wall 1011c, and the 1 st compression coil spring 1010 is disposed in the spring receiving portion 1011d so as to be extendable and retractable in the longitudinal direction of the base 21. As shown in fig. 20, 24 and 25, an Jiong-shaped operating body 1012 is disposed between the front end of the 1 st compression coil spring 1010 and the front wall 1011a, and a pressing rod 1013 protruding from the center of the operating body 1012 penetrates the front wall 1011a of the box 1011 and elastically contacts a shaft pin 1082 connected between one ends 1081 of the link members 1080.

The 2 nd compression coil spring 1020 is wound around the shaft portion 61 of the adjuster 6, and has an upper end engaged with the lower surface of the upper wall of the groove member 1000 and a lower end engaged with the upper end 72a of the axle holding portion 72 of the caster 7, and elastically biases the caster 7 downward.

Thus, in this embodiment, when the supporting end 7a of the caster 7 is in the projecting position B and the vicinity thereof, the caster 7 is loaded in the direction of the floor surface F mainly by the elastic loading force transmitted from the 1 st compression coil spring 1010 to the caster 7 via the urging rod 1013, the shaft pin 1082 and the link member 1080, and the elastic loading force directly acting on the caster 7 from the 2 nd compression coil spring 1020, and in this embodiment, the sum of the loading forces is set to be larger than the gravity acting on the folding table 1. When the support end 7a of the caster 7 is at or near the retracted position a, the shaft pin 1082 is guided along the inclined surface 1030a to below the pressing rod 1013, the shaft pin 1082 is released from the elastic biasing force of the 1 st compression coil spring 1010, and the caster 7 is biased toward the floor surface F mainly by the elastic biasing force acting directly from the 2 nd compression coil spring 1020. Also, the loading force is set to be smaller than the gravity acting on the folding table 1. This relative mechanical relationship between the elastic loading force and the load applied to the folding table 1 can be basically achieved by setting the spring force of the 1 st compression coil spring 1010 to be relatively large and the spring force of the 2 nd compression coil spring 1020 to be relatively small. It is needless to say that the reaction force from the reaction spring actually acts as a biasing force for projecting the caster 7, and the above setting is performed in consideration of many other mechanical relationships.

In the present embodiment, the stopper 1040 shown in fig. 21 and 25 is configured to be fitted into a space S (see fig. 25) between the operating body 1012 and the rear wall 1011B formed by the operating body 1012 advancing toward the caster 7 in the box 1011, so that the stopper 1040 inhibits the backward movement of the operating body 1012 and the caster 7 can be fixed to the projecting position B. Further, in the present embodiment, at a position where the rear end 21b of the base 21 can be supported, as shown in fig. 18 and 19, a caster 9 having a conventional structure is mounted. The support end 9a of the caster 9 is set to horizontally support the base 21 when contacting the floor F simultaneously with the support end 6a of the adjuster 6.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described. When the support ends 7a of the casters 7 are in the projecting position B shown in fig. 21, since the support ends 7a of the casters 7 project further toward the floor surface F than the support ends 6a of the adjuster 6, the support ends 7a of the casters 7 contact the floor surface F, the support ends 6a of the adjuster 6 are disengaged from the floor surface F, and the folding table 1 is movably supported by the casters 7, 9 in a slightly tilted state as shown in fig. 18. In this position, the casters 7 are biased toward the floor surface F by the biasing mechanisms 1008, and the biasing force is larger than the gravity acting on the folding table 1, so that even if the casters 7 receive a reaction force from the floor surface F in balance with the gravity, the movement of the support ends 7a to retract toward the retracted position a is prohibited, and the movable state is stably maintained.

On the other hand, if a load in the arrow U direction in the figure is manually applied to the table top 3 of the folding table 1 from this position by hand or the like, and a force in the direction of the floor surface F is larger than a force in which the caster 7 is biased in the direction of the floor surface F by the biasing mechanism 1008, the caster 7 moves in the direction of the retreat position a against the biasing force of the biasing mechanism 1008 due to a reaction force from the floor surface F balanced with this gravity, and along with this movement, the shaft pin 1082 of the one end 1081 of the coupling link member 1080 moves in the arrow direction in fig. 21, and the 1 st and 2 nd compression coil springs 1010, 1020 are compressed by the shaft pin 1082 or the upper end 72a of the axle holding portion 72. At this time, the pressing rod 1013 to which the elastic force of the 1 st compression coil spring 1010 is transmitted is disengaged from the shaft pin 1082 before the end of the operation, the shaft pin 1082 is positioned below the pressing rod 1013, and the pressing rod 1013 is extended to the original length. At this time, the operating body 1012 is brought into contact with the shutter 1012a provided in the cassette 1011, whereby the push rod 1013 is stopped at the projecting position. When the support ends 7a of the casters 7 are moved to the retracted position a shown in fig. 21 by the retraction operation, the support ends 7a contact the floor surface F at the same time as the support ends 6a of the adjusters 6 at this position, so that the support state of the adjusters 6 becomes dominant, and the folding table 1 is supported in the restrained state as shown in fig. 19. In this position, although the casters 7 are still loaded in the direction of the floor surface F by the loading mechanisms 1008, the loading force in this position is different from the above-described one and is smaller than the gravity acting on the folding table 1, so even if the casters 7 can contact the floor surface F by the loading mechanisms 1008, the casters cannot move further to the projecting position B against the reaction force from the floor surface F which is balanced with the gravity, and the restrained state is stably maintained.

Further, if the table top 3 of the folding table 1 is manually lifted up in the arrow V direction in the figure from this position by hand or the like, and the force from the floor surface F balanced with the gravity acting on the folding table 1 is smaller than the force applied to the caster 7 in the direction of the floor surface F by the applying mechanism 1008, the caster 7 is moved in the direction opposite to the arrow direction in fig. 21 by the projecting action caused by the force applied to the applying mechanism 1008, and the shaft pin 1082 is moved in accordance with this action. The trajectory of the shaft pin 1082 is different from that of the caster 7 when it is housed, and after sliding on the lower surface of the pressing rod 1013, it finally falls on the tip side of the pressing rod 1013. When the support ends 7a of the casters 7 are moved to the projecting position B by the projecting action, the folding table 1 is stably maintained in the movable state because the urging force of the urging mechanism 1008 overcomes the weight of the folding table 1 again.

As described above, the table support device 1005 of the present embodiment can be switched from the movable state to the restraining state only by applying a load to the tabletop 3, the base 21, or the like of the folding table 1 by the operator, and can be switched from the restraining state to the movable state only by slightly lifting the tabletop 3 of the folding table 1, as in the above embodiments. Therefore, in addition to completely eliminating the need for the handle operation, the switching operation can be performed by a series of operations that are continuous with the turning operation of the tabletop 3, and the convenience of use can be significantly improved compared to the lock mechanism of the prior art. Further, since the table support device 1005 is constructed as a mechanism completely independent from a mechanism for turning the tabletop 3, the structure is significantly simplified as compared with the prior art in which mechanisms are linked, and the manufacturing workload and cost are reduced. Further, there are also advantages that the table support 1005 can be moved while the table tops 3 are held at the use position 3B, so that the table tops 3 can be held at the use position 3B for positioning work when a plurality of table tops 3 are required to be arranged closely to each other, and that the table tops 3 can be locked even when the table tops 3 are raised to the non-use position 3A when the folding table 1 is stored, so that the table can be stored compactly and stably.

In particular, in the device of the present embodiment, since the biasing mechanism 1008 is constituted by two compression coil springs 1010, 1020, the biasing force when the caster 7 is in the projecting position B is mainly the 1 st compression coil spring 1010 having a strong spring force, and the biasing force when the caster 7 is in the retracted position is mainly the 2 nd compression coil spring 1020 having a weak spring force, the configuration of the above-described function is extremely easy, and since these springs 1010, 1020 can be used in an appropriate posture, it is possible to ensure a reliable operation and long-term reliability.

In addition, in this embodiment, although the one end 1081 of the link member 1080 can be moved to some extent when the casters 7 are retracted, since the shaft pins 1082 are disengaged from the distal ends of the pressing rods 1013 and the operating body 1012 is brought into contact with the shutter 1012a to return to the original position, when the table top 3 is pressed by hand, the retraction can be clearly sensed by the disengaging sound of the shaft pins 1082, the contacting sound of the operating body 1012, and the hand feeling, whereas when the casters 7 are projected, when the table top 3 is lifted, the seating sound when the shaft pins 1082 fall into the distal ends of the pressing rods 1013 can clearly be recognized, and therefore, the operation can be reliably performed with a good operation feeling.

Further, since the caster 7 can be locked at the projecting position by inserting the stopper 1040 when the caster 7 is in the position, the operability and safety in the case of moving the folding table 1 can be effectively improved.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the adjuster 6, the caster 7, and the urging mechanism 1008 constituting the table support device 1005 are integrally incorporated into the channel member 1000 to form a single case, the entire structure of the table support device 1005 can be reduced in size, the ease of installation can be effectively improved, and the table can be easily removed even in the case of some adjustment, trouble, or the like.

The specific configuration of each part is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, and various modifications are possible within a range not departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment 6, although the urging means for urging the caster 7 in the direction of the floor surface F along the guide portion 70 is configured by the 2 nd compression coil spring 1020 serving as the auxiliary elastic body in addition to the gravity acting on the caster 7 itself, the same operation as that of the above-described embodiment can be realized by only the gravity without the 2 nd compression coil spring 1020 in the design program. Further, although in the above-described embodiment, the casters 9 having a conventional structure are mounted on the rear end 21b side of the base 21, it is needless to say that the base rear end 21b may be supported by the table supporting device 1005 of the present invention similarly to the front end 21 a.

As described above, the object supporting apparatus according to the present invention is useful as a means for supporting various office furniture such as a conference table, and particularly useful for furniture having a table top which can be turned over. Of course, the present invention is also applicable as a mechanism for supporting furniture used outside an office or objects other than furniture.

Claims (14)

1. An object supporting apparatus for supporting an object to be supported by selectively switching to one of a restrained state and a movable state, comprising:

a support body for restraining, provided on the supported object, the support end of which is in contact with the support surface and which supports the supported object in a restrained state;

a movable support body supported by the supported object and movable from a retracted position where the support end of the movable support body can contact the support surface at the same time as the support end of the restraining support body, to a protruding position where the movable support body protrudes further toward the support surface than the support end of the restraining support body; and

and a loading mechanism for loading the moving support body in the direction of the support surface with a force larger than the gravity acting on the supported object at the protruding position and the vicinity thereof, and loading the moving support body in the direction of the support surface with a force smaller than the gravity acting on the supported object at the retreating position and the vicinity thereof.

2. The object supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving support is fitted to the supported object via a guide portion, and the moving support is guided by the guide portion so as to be able to contact and separate from the supporting surface; a loading mechanism composed of a link member having one end rotatably and slidably hinged to the supported object and the other end hinged to the movable supporting body, the link member holding the movable supporting body so as to be movable between a projected position and a retracted position, and an elastic body loading one end of the link member in a direction in which the movable supporting body approaches the supporting surface; when the support body for movement is at the protruding position and its vicinity, the elastic body applies a larger force to the support surface direction of the support body for movement via the link member than a gravitational force acting on the supported body, and further when the support body for movement is at the retracted position and its vicinity, the elastic body applies a smaller force to the support surface direction of the support body for movement via the link member than a gravitational force acting on the supported body.

3. The object holding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable holding body is held by a rotating arm hinged to the held object; a loading mechanism composed of a loading arm hinged to the supported object and having a 1 st and a 2 nd cam surfaces formed on the rotating arm, a rotating part engaged with the 1 st cam surface when the movable supporting body is at the protruding position and the vicinity thereof, and a rotating part engaged with the 2 nd cam surface when the movable supporting body is at the retreating position and the vicinity thereof, and an elastic body loading the loading arm; the angles of the 1 st and 2 nd cam surfaces are made different so that the force for biasing the moving support body in the direction of the support surface via the rotating arm when the 1 st cam surface is biased by the rotating portion of the biasing arm is larger than the gravity acting on the supported object, and the force for biasing the moving support body in the direction of the support surface via the rotating arm when the 2 nd cam surface is biased by the rotating portion of the biasing arm is smaller than the gravity acting on the supported object.

4. The object supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable supporting body is held by a lift lever provided on the supported object; a cam body formed on one part of the lifting rod, a loading component which is rotatably hinged on the supported object and enables the front end part to enter the moving path of the cam body when the lifting rod lifts, and an elastic body loading the loading component form a loading mechanism; when the moving support body is at the protruding position and the vicinity thereof, the cam body is held at a position where the tip end portion of the loaded member is loaded, and a force loading the moving support body in the direction of the support surface via the cam body is larger than a gravity acting on the loaded member; at the same time, as the moving support body moves from the retracted position to the protruding position without being affected by the gravity acting on the supported body, the urging member can temporarily retract only the tip end portion from the moving path of the cam body by the urging force received by the tip end portion of the urging member from the cam body.

5. The object holding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable holding body is held by a swing frame attached to the held object via a fitting portion composed of a long hole and a shaft; a loading mechanism including a loading surface formed on a part of the swing frame, a loading slider disposed at a position where the moving support can contact the loading surface when the moving support is at or near the projecting position, and an elastic body for loading the loading slider; when the moving support is at the protruding position and the vicinity thereof, the force applied to the moving support in the direction of the supporting surface by the loading slider via the loading surface is larger than the gravity applied to the supported object, and when the moving support is at the retracted position and the vicinity thereof, the loading surface is held at a position where the loading slider is not loaded, and the force applied to the moving support in the direction of the supporting surface is smaller than the gravity applied to the supported object; at the same time, as the moving support body moves from the retracted position to the protruding position without being affected by the gravity acting on the supported body, the loading surface of the swing frame returns to the position where the loading slider can be loaded.

6. The object supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving support is held at a hinge point of a pair of link members, one ends of which are hinged to each other and the other ends of which are slidably supported on the supported object, respectively, so that the hinge point can be moved toward or away from the support surface; meanwhile, a loading mechanism is formed by a 1 st elastic body loading the hinge point to the direction of the supporting surface and a 2 nd elastic body loading the two link members to the direction of increasing the intersection angle at the hinge point; when the moving support is at the protruding position and the vicinity thereof, the sum of the loading forces of the 1 st and 2 nd elastic bodies is applied to the moving support as a loading force in the direction of the support surface and the loading force is larger than the gravity force applied to the supported object, and when the moving support is at the retracted position and the vicinity thereof, the difference between the loading forces of the 1 st and 2 nd elastic bodies is applied to the moving support as a loading force in the direction of the support surface and the loading force is smaller than the gravity force applied to the supported object.

7. The object supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable supporting member is fitted to the supported object via a guide portion, and the movable supporting member is guided by the guide portion so as to be movable in contact with or away from the supporting surface; meanwhile, the loading mechanism is composed of a connecting rod component with one end capable of being engaged with the moving support body in a sliding way along a downward guide surface arranged on the supported body and the other end hinged with the moving support body, an elastic body loading one end of the connecting rod component towards the direction of the moving support body approaching to the support surface, and a loading means loading the moving support body along the guide part towards the direction of the moving support body approaching to the support surface; when the support body for movement is at the protruding position and its vicinity, the elastic body and the loading means load the support body for movement in the direction of the support surface via the link member with a larger force than the gravity acting on the supported object, and further when the support body for movement is at the retracted position and its vicinity, the elastic body and the loading means load the support body for movement in the direction of the support surface via the link member with a smaller force than the gravity acting on the supported object.

8. The object holding device according to claim 7, wherein the loading means includes an auxiliary elastic body loading the upper end of the moving support body along the guide portion.

9. The object supporting apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, wherein an inclined surface is provided on the downward guide surface, the inclined surface causing one end of the link member to retreat in a direction in which the biasing force of the elastic body does not reach as the movement supporting body moves from the protruding position to the retracted position.

10. The object supporting apparatus according to claim 7, 8 or 9, wherein a reaction spring for urging one end of the link member toward the downward guide surface is provided at a hinge position of the other end of the link member and the movable supporting body.

11. The object supporting apparatus according to claim 7, 8, 9 or 10, wherein the restraining support body, the moving support body and the loading mechanism are formed in a cassette structure integrally mountable to the supported object together with the guide portion.

12. The object supporting apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or 11, wherein the moving support is a caster wheel supported by the supported object.

13. The object supporting apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12, wherein the restraining support is an adjuster that supports the supported object with an adjustable height.

14. The object supporting apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 or 13, wherein the supported object is a folding table having a table top capable of turning motion.